Strategy Analytics: Nokia, Samsung and HTC to drive Windows Phone growth in US this year

Long-time Windows Phone partners HTC and Samsung, along with Nokia, will be driving the success of Windows Phone in USA, saying Strategy Analytics in a recent report.

“Nokia Oyj, HTC and Samsung Electronics Co. have some of the biggest Microsoft smartphone portfolios at present and they will be the three main hardware vendors driving growth this year,” said Scott Bicheno, senior analyst at Strategy Analytics.

Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, added that Microsoft is making a determined push to strengthen its presence in the United States because it is the most valuable and influential smartphone market in the world.

So far this push has been met with limited success, with only an estimated 1.5 million smartphone owners using Windows Â Phones there.

This will be coming this fall with Windows Phone 8, but Strategy Analytics also thinks Microsoft could reduce the licensing fees it charge for the Windows Phone OS. Lower license fees may attract more price-sensitive OEMs in China and make the eventual handsets more price competitive when they finally hit the market.

Besides Nokia, HTC and Samsung, Microsoft has also signed up rising Chinese OEMs like ZTE, Huawei and others who also have increasing ambitions in the west, but Strategy Analytics does not believe they will bring the traction Microsoft requires with consumers to boost their adoption in the US.